In May, we wrote here that we would not make across-the-board endorsements but would pick and choose those times when it made sense to lend our voice when it matters most to the community.

This is one of those times.

Midland ISD and concerned citizens stand before Midland’s electorate, asking for voters to pass the largest referendum in our city’s history. To put the $163.1 million into perspective, the total is nearly $100 million greater than the largest school bond ever passed in Midland. It also dwarfs the $115 million hospital bond passed in 2009. To date, the hospital bond is the only bond issue of $100 million or more passed by Midland voters.

There are some voters who already have looked at MISD’s proposal and written it off as a school district believing that no amount of money is ever enough. They believe you only have to look 18 miles to the West and see Ector County ISD asking for millions less and fixing its problems at both elementary and secondary schools. They look at the small bond debt MISD has accumulated compared to other districts around the state and believe it to be a badge of honor.

We say it’s time for Midlanders to take another look. We believe it is time to make a statement about education in Midland. There is no doubt Midlanders will put their money behind worthwhile efforts. We have seen it over and over. In the past 20 years, Midlanders have signed off on a new airport terminal, a new sports complex and a new jail. They successfully have made the case for additions to Midland College and Midland ISD and pulled the trigger to fund economic development. In each case, Midlanders voted for a better community.

The desire to invest what it takes also has occurred in private efforts across town. Millions have been raised for church projects, a new tennis center in northwest Midland, additions to private schools and the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center.

And, there was the biggest investment of them all — a new hospital tower that promises the type of care Midlanders expect.

But now the attention is turned to MISD and the first part of its improvement initiative. After studying this ambitious project, we can’t see any alternative but to throw our support behind the bond and its passage in November.

We believe Superintendent Ryder Warren has brought the type of leadership our school district sorely needed. This newspaper would have a difficult time endorsing a project of this magnitude without the leadership we have seen during the Warren era.

We believe Warren’s goal isn’t to build for the sake of building but to offer school settings where teachers can provide the lessons that make the most sense for our community.

More importantly, voting for this project is a step in acknowledging we must be proactive in preparing ourselves for the challenges of tomorrow. We have expectations this community will continue to grow, and to meet the demands of that expansion we can’t be satisfied with schools busting at the seams or adding fixes we all know to be temporary.

The supporters of tomorrow’s MISD can’t be satisfied with doing the bare minimum. We certainly can’t think of ourselves as just another West Texas community willing to pass the burden to the next generation. We must do better. We must take seriously the challenge of making our district among the finest in Texas. The most educated workforce requires nothing less.

We want to make sure we are clear about the following: When this community delivers the greatest investment in schools in our city’s history, we will follow up with calling on all members of the education community to be held accountable. The transformation of our elementary schools won’t be possible “without strings.” We expect community members to act like a group that has a greater stake in education. We expect higher expectations will mean the highest accountability measures for our school board, our superintendent, our principals and other administrators, our teachers and each other. As a community we must work together and support those groups that support education in Midland. At that point, just letting the chips fall where they may isn’t good enough, not when we are all in as a community.

One last point. This endorsement is for the elementary schools project on November’s ballot. At another time, there will be a community discussion about other parts of MISD’s improvement initiative, and we can’t say for certain what view we might have concerning that.

But for now, it’s time for Midlanders to make up for the deficiencies that have been years in the making. It’s time for a commitment to education befitting a community that never settles for second best. It is time for this community to make a statement that a vote for the bond isn’t about bigger government but for better schools.